Former Premier League star now working as a train driver

A unique career path

Martin Grainger, former left-back of Birmingham City, is now a train driver. He talked about his injury and his career in his new book ‘Cut Short’.

The 53-year-old now works for Govia Thameslink railway, after 13 years in his career as a footballer, three of them in the English Premier League.

You might remember him as part of the team that helped Birmingham get promoted to the Prem through the 2002 play-offs.

His career ended a tad too early however, as a serious knee injury meant he had to hang up his boots aged just 31.

Sir Alex Ferguson and United fans probably will remember him too, as he scored a free-kick goal from 30 yards against the Red Devils in April 2004 in his last game as a professional.

“We were playing at Middlesbrough in September 2002. I felt something uncomfortable in my knee”, Grainger writes in his book as he remembers his injury.

“It was causing me pain and scans showed I had suffered a ruptured patellar tendon, which required corrective surgery and a lengthy lay-off. Having had the surgery to scrape all the rubbish out, unfortunately I had all sorts of complications with infections so I ended up having three ops to get it cleaned up”, he revealed.

Grainger reveals how he was charged thousands for his own testimonial, insisting that it was a farce.

“My career was cut short playing for Birmingham and yet the management sent me an invoice after my testimonial for £6,800 for the stadium that day. The sadness is, I absolutely adored the fans at Birmingham, who had always been brilliant with me”, he reveals in the book.

He started as a train driver in 2015 after working as a painter and decorator, and enjoys a normal, healthy life 20 years on from the injury that ended his career.

However, he says he does enjoy a game of golf now, two decades after giving football his farewell.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to be able to give you a load of squat thrusts in the gym. But I enjoy a game of golf a couple of times a week”, he laughed.